tuition

Bill would provide health care for all kids

More than 17,000 children are currently excluded from the Oregon Health Plan because of their residency status.

To address this, Governor Kate Brown testified Monday before the House Committee on Health Care in support of a bill known as “Cover All Kids.” If passed, House Bill 2726 would extend health care coverage through the Oregon Health Plan to all Oregon children, expanding legislation passed in 2012.

"It is our duty to ensure that our youngest Oregonians have the tools to grow into healthy adults with access to education, health care, and a bright future," Brown said. "Oregon children should have the opportunity to be healthy and ready to learn, and Oregon families should feel confident that a medical event will not dramatically change the trajectory of their lives."

Brown has included the expansion in her proposed budget, allocating $55 million in General Fund money. Brown highlighted the importance of all children having health care coverage in her inaugural address.

Uninsured children are much more likely than insured children to forgo necessary medical care due to costs, and more likely to have unmet medical needs, according to a report by the Campaign for Children’s Health Care.

Additionally, the Oregon Latino Health Coalition cites insured children are 9.7 percent less likely to drop out of high school and 5.5 percent more likely to graduate from college.

The bipartisan legislation currently facing the Oregon State Legislature is co-sponsored by Representatives Alonso Leon, Gilliam, Hernandez, Huffman and Olson and by Senators Boquist, Monnes Anderson, and Roblan.

Fatima Preciado, 18, a Portland State University student and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, was one of the kids who did not qualify due to her residency.

“Because my siblings and I lacked proper health insurance, we were denied the right to live a normal childhood,” Preciado said in a statement. "Fear and worry instead consumed my everyday childhood.

"My mother struggled severely when it came to purchasing my sister’s medication," she said. "There were times when my sister went weeks without medication, causing her to suffer severe uncontrollable epileptic seizures.”

The Senate Committee on Health Care will hold a hearing on Senate Bill 558, a companion bill, on at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 in Hearing Room B. Read more about Bill would provide health care for all kids

Help citizens or illegal aliens?

 
All students should have an opportunity to attend college, says Pamela Prosise in her op-ed in the Statesman Journal, June 30. She advocates extending to illegal aliens the benefit of publicly-funded tuition assistance  (Oregon Opportunity Grants), as called for in Senate Bill 932 now pending in the Legislature.
 
Note that Ms. Prosise is a retired teacher of English to students who come into the school system not speaking English. Teachers of English language learners, along with many other persons in the educational system, have a vested interest in a large supply of foreign students who need English-language instruction.  Teachers’ unions and associated unions made large contributions to Yes on Oregon Safe Roads, the political action group (SOS Orestar i.d. no.16889) supporting Measure 88 which would have extended the benefit of official driver cards to illegal aliens. See these amounts given in 2014 to the YES on Oregon Safe Roads campaign:
 
American Federation of Teachers – Oregon Issue PAC (5486) - $5,000 
Oregon AFL-CIO - $703
Oregon AFSCME Council (75) - $12,500
School Employees Exercising Democracy (249) - $20,000 
SEIU Local 503 - $100,000
SEIU Local 49 Committee on Political Education (4213) -  $20,000
 
To see all contribution and expense records for the Yes on Oregon Safe Roads campaign, click here. The day-by-day reports of financial transactions (receipts and expenditures) of YOSR show names of contributors and amounts they have contributed.  A summary record is available here; to see 2014 summary, click on the “Prev” link.
 
You can view here the 2014 summary records for the Protect Oregon Driver Licenses campaign. Detail of contributions is here.
 
Ms. Prosise disdains use of the term illegal alien, which is the correct legal term defining persons who are present in this country in violation of U.S. immigration laws, usually by sneaking across borders via clandestine means, or knowingly overstaying the allotted time of their visas. 
 
In her arguments for extending tax-paid tuition assistance to illegal alien students, Ms. Prosise is so narrowly focused that she does not see the consequences of open borders.  She apparently believes national boundaries are unnecessary, undesirable, and we should not attempt to maintain them.
 
She acknowledges no difference between citizens and non-citizens, nor between legal immigrants and illegal immigrants.
 
She is blind to the history of this country which was built by mostly law-abiding, patriotic citizens, many of whom gave their lives in wars to establish and maintain the country.  For over two  centuries, honesty and fair play characterized the lives of most citizens, resulting in a prosperous country with political freedom and a good quality of life -- until recent decades when massive waves of illegal and legal immigration began to destabilize society here. We now see large multinational business corporations increasing their political power, thriving on the cheap labor provided by high levels of immigration. Also, many smaller businesses cheat Americans by encouraging illegal immigration and profiting from the depressed wages that follow.
 
The path Ms. Prosise advocates would be disastrous for Oregon and this country.  Most citizens understand this instinctively.  They were not “misled” by the Referendum on driver licenses for illegal aliens.  They voted for their own interests, and for the preservation of our country.  The purpose of immigration laws is to protect the interests of citizens. All advanced countries have immigration laws, and those that don’t enforce their immigration laws face ever-increasing chaos.
 

2013 Oregon Legislature adjourns

Alert date: 
July 8, 2013
Alert body: 


The 2013 Oregon Legislature has just adjourned.  What that means is that we now have only 90 days left to collect 58,142 signatures to get the issue of driver privilege cards for illegal aliens on the ballot so Oregon voters can decide for themselves if this is what we want for Oregon.

SB 833 would provide a state issued ID, in the form of a driver privilege card, to illegal aliens with minimal (and questionable) requirements.

Protect Oregon Driver Licenses has filed a referendum to get the issue on the November 2014 ballot and let voters decide.

To gather signatures to help overturn the bill, please go to:  www.ProtectOregonDL.org for more information.

 

 

 

 

BINGO!

In a recent letter to the editor Jerry Ritter connected the dots and got a BINGO!

Read Jerry's letter and consider writing a letter of your own.  It's as easy as 1, 2, 3...BINGO!
  Read more about BINGO!

Who's REALLY in charge?

A recent letter sent to Causa supporters:

On behalf of all of us here at Causa Oregon, we want to thank you for all your work and support. While there are still some big fights to win this year, we have accomplished so much in the first three months of 2013.

With your help, we have forged new alliances with our sisters and brothers in the LGBT, labor, faith, business and education communities. Together, we've harnessed the political power to pass the ten-year-long struggle for tuition equity in Oregon and gained national recognition for our collaborative work in registering new Americans to vote. And, just this week it was announced that Causa, the Act Network and our allies were successful in forcing the Multnomah County Sheriff to end his policy of detaining undocumented immigrants for low-level crimes and non-violent misdemeanors.

It's only three months in to 2013 and together we're already making historyThank you for being a tireless ally in our mission to promote the rights of Latinos and immigrants in Oregon. Together, we are ensuring a healthy, vibrant American democracy.

In Solidarity,

Francisco Lopez
Executive Director

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would like to take a moment to address the "successes" listed in the letter:

1.) Causa appears to be a group whose mission is to cause the ruling bodies of our state to CAVE IN to their demands.

2.) Causa appears to be a group that, by hooking up with legitimate minorities with issues, they hope that the public won't notice that they are advocating for the RIGHTS(?) of those in our country illegally. 

3.) Illegal aliens perpetrate crimes in far greater numbers than their 'legal' peers.  Yet, they seem to feel they shouldn't be in jail and that they deserve special treatment from the Multnomah County Sheriff....and he obliged their demand.

4.) The last line was the worst:  Thank you for being a tireless ally in our mission to promote the rights of Latinos and immigrants in Oregon. Together, we are ensuring a healthy, vibrant American democracy.

First of all, Latino's and legal immigrants have rights.  Do Latino's have special rights?  Causa simply chooses to drop the word ILLEGAL from their immigrant vocabulary and hopes that no one will notice.  After all, who doesn't want to help an 'immigrant'?  And, to make matters worse, claiming they are ensuring a healthy, vibrant American democracy is just a LIE!  Here in Oregon, the cost of services to illegal aliens tipped the BILLION dollar mark.

Since when do any of us get to pick and choose which laws we obey and which laws we ignore?  People who come here illegally are breaking immigration laws.   If they work, they are breaking labor laws. If they steal, buy, or borrow a social security number, they are committing identity theft. But, shhhh...don't say anything about that....that's not nice.  They are bringing the culture of corruption from their homeland, right to our front door.

But, all that aside, the thing that bothers me the most, are the lawmakers that are bending over backwards to work with groups like Causa.  That's the most disappointing of all!  Elections are a great opportunity to clear the decks! Read more about Who's REALLY in charge?

Played like a fiddle

It's been a rough month for those of us working to stop the move to legitimize the presence of illegal aliens in our country. Sadly, we lost a 10 year battle against giving instate tuition benefits to students here illegally. We tried to negotiate with both the House and Senate Education Committees and nearly all the Legislators, either in person, by phone or email.

OFIR brought good, reasonable suggestions to the table. But, it was as if they could smell blood in the water and they didn't need to give an inch in any negotiations. Democrats sensed they could ram the bill through with lightening speed without any amendments that would protect Oregon students and Oregon taxpayers.

It was really quite sickening to hear the debate on the Senate floor as several Democrats and even a Republican gushed about giving every opportunity to students here illegally. They made no mention of the fact that these students and their families have likely "gamed the system" for years. They have stolen identities, have been working illegally, maybe even being paid under the table and are likely driving without licenses or insurance. But, aside from all that, the most important point is they are here illegally! When we have elected officials working so hard for the special benefits for illegal aliens, citizens have to wonder what's next!

I fear that we have taken the first step onto a very slippery slope. If our Legislators do not hear utter rage from their constituents now, the next move will be drivers licenses for all...legal, illegal...who cares!

Find out what happened in Tennessee and New Mexico when they started giving driver licenses to illegal aliens. It wasn't pretty!

  Read more about Played like a fiddle

In-state tuition for immigrants heads to Senate vote

The Oregon Senate might vote as early as Thursday on a bill allowing in-state tuition for immigrant students.

The Senate Education Committee voted 3-2 along party lines Tuesday to advance House Bill 2787. The committee did not amend the bill, and a spokesman for Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, said the bill could be up for a final vote Thursday.

Courtney will be the bill’s floor manager when it comes up for a vote. He also sponsored the original bill a decade ago.

He said students should not be held responsible for what their parents did entering the United States illegally.

The bill would allow in-state tuition for students without immigration documents, if they graduated from high school or its equivalent in Oregon, attended Oregon schools three years before graduation and U.S. schools for five years. Students also would have to show intent to seek legal status or citizenship in the United States.

Out-of-state tuition typically is three or four times the rate for in-state residents.

Committee members heard from 28 witnesses split equally for and against the bill.

One of those in favor was Ayrton Nicolas, 17, a senior at North Salem High School, who said his ambition is to be a neurosurgeon. Nicolas, a member of the Junior ROTC drill team, said he has been accepted by several colleges.

“Unfortunately, because of my legal status in America, my tuition costs are twice or sometimes three times more than that of my fellow classmates who I studied with, played sports with and volunteered with,” he said. “This cost is the only thing keeping me from chasing my dream.”

But Mark Callahan of Salem, who has twice run for the Oregon House from Eugene, was among those who opposed the bill. Read more about In-state tuition for immigrants heads to Senate vote

Who represents us? Clearly, it's not these two gentlemen!

There comes a point in life when what one thinks just doesn't line up with what's actually happening. 

In all my years of striving to be a responsible citizen, a good, honest person and a strong parent, I thought that our elected officials were working for the best interests of, if not me and my family specifically, our country as a whole.

I thought that, even though I didn't always agree, ultimately our sovereignty as a nation would prevail and that our lawmakers would work to make our country even stronger.

I confess...I have been an idiot! 

It seems that if you were born and raised here in the U.S., or, if you emigrated here through the proper channels, work hard, pay your taxes, never break a rule...let alone a law, your entire life, then you are a chump! 

Elected officials want nothing to do with you and will dismiss your comments about impending legislation regarding illegal immigration as vehement opposition.

Apparently, a far better way to capture the attention of our lawmakers is to sneak into this country, steal an American citizen's identity, drive without a license or insurance, work without permission and perhaps even commit multiple other crimes like selling drugs, drunk driving, assault, rape and even murder.  Then, and only then, will you garner the full, positive attention and time of the people elected to protect the United States and her citizens.

What I see now are pathetic, gutless politicians being led around by their noses by illegal alien advocates and businesses that prey on an undocumented workforce.  It's actually quite shameful and I feel embarrassed for them. 

Other industrialized nations have already realized that excessive immigration (legal or illegal) does not work and results in high unemployment, depressed wages, flooded entitlement programs, poor working conditions and more.  I would hope that our elected officials would realize that they are encouraging a culture of corruption right here in Oregon and now, they are inviting it right into our Capitol.

OFIR has posted two recent letters in the Oregon section of our website.  One letter is from Oregon Senator Chuck Thomsen and the other letter is from Congressman Kurt Schrader.

If you have received correspondence from your elected officials, please share it with OFIR and we will post it on our website for everyone to see. Read more about Who represents us? Clearly, it's not these two gentlemen!

HB 2787 - express yourself at the Capitol - March 19th @ 1:00pm

Alert date: 
March 6, 2013
Alert body: 

If you traveled to the Capitol early in the morning for the opportunity to testify against HB 2787 last time and never got to speak, there is another chance.  The bill giving instate tuition benefits to illegal aliens has passed the House and moved to the Senate.  The Senate has announced that there will be a hearing on HB 2787 at 1:00pm on Tuesday, March 19 in Hearing Room C.  Bring quarters for the meter ($1.50 an hour).

This bill is misguided and unfair to US citizens from other states that would like the opportunity to attend an Oregon University.  Please, take the time to come to Salem, testify or lend support to those who do.  If you have questions about what to do, please call 503.435.0141.

Your Legislator is under constant pressure from illegal alien advocates to cave in to their demands.  Ask your Legislator to stop this bill in its tracks.  Oregon should not be usurping Federal law to grant benefits to a special group of illegal alien students.

Rep. Esquival hits the nail on the head

e southern
OREGON.com IBLOGS

Tuition equity unfair to citizens
 

The session has taken off like a rocket. Our office is flooded with meeting requests and we have been surprised by a number of visitors from home.

Tuition Equity –HB 2787 allowing Oregon students who are here illegally to pay in-state tuition for Oregon colleges.

As many of you know this is a difficult issue for me. I open my arms to anyone who wants to come to America but obeying the law is first and foremost. By encouraging students to stay here illegally, Oregon violates federal law.

“It is a violation of law for any entity to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection in any place, any illegal alien who is in the United States in violation of law. Harboring means any conduct that tends to substantially facilitate an alien to remain in the U.S. illegally.

If you are a U.S. citizen from another state you have to pay approximately $114,000 for out-of-state tuition – but Oregon colleges will accept students here illegally at approximately $32,000 per year. Basically I see this legislation as a direct discrimination against U.S. citizens.

In 2009 when I presented the legislation to allow U.S. veterans to receive instate tuition in Oregon schools there was a fiscal cost to the state of more than $7,000 per student per year. Interesting enough with HB2787, the carrier stated there was no fiscal impact involved. In other words it costs Oregon to have U.S. veterans attend at in-state rates but doesn’t cost for illegal students?

HB2787 passed the House 38-18.

Rep. Sal Esquivel

http://blogs.esouthernoregon.com/southern-oregon-legislators/2013/02/28/tuition-equity-unfair-to-citizens/

  Read more about Rep. Esquival hits the nail on the head

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